Thereafter
by Jez0209
Summary: Mako is deep asleep. Raleigh reflects.


_**Something very small I came up with after watching Pacific Rim. I hope you like it. **_

**Thereafter**

So, the clock had been stopped permanently…

Now what?

Now what?

Raleigh sighed heavily. He had spent the last 12 hours waiting for something to change, for something to happen. Waiting for someone to come and tell him what was next…

But none of that happened.

What would he do? What would she do? What would they both do now that the Jaeger Program was over and they were no longer needed?

The "she" he was worried about was peacefully sleeping on a small bed less than two meters away from the chair he was on; her blue dyed strands of hair falling freely on her face.

They were in Mako's bedroom. Not feeling in the mood to celebrate, and exhausted both physically and mentally, they had managed to avoid the cheering crowds and discretely headed there almost immediately after reaching the Shatterdome. He didn't think there was that much to celebrate and he knew she felt the same.

Once in the room, Raleigh had helped her remove the pilot suit from her body to change into more comfortable clothes, careful not to hurt her already bruised frame. After everything they'd gone through, Mako had been just too tired to even grief and had simply lain down on the bed, falling asleep shortly after. He had tried to get some sleep as well, but sitting had proven to be an impossible position for him to do so, so after an hour of struggling he had given up. There was too much in his head anyway; too much to assimilate.

He had taken a hot shower in an attempt to clear up his mind and changed into some cargo pants and an undershirt he had fetched from his room. He didn't want to leave Mako's side. He didn't want her to wake up alone to her reality.

He looked at her sleeping form and his mind went back to the rainy day he met her. He had been really close to losing her. Unconsciously, his mind relived the fear and anguish he felt when he realized Mako's oxygen levels were dropping; a shill ran down his spine at the thought and his eyes moved to the scars on his left arm subconsciously. There was only one time in which he felt that way; it had been in the prior moments to Yancy's death… that fear of losing someone.

This time he hadn't been willing to let that happen. He had to protect her. After Marshall Pentecost's sacrifice, Raleigh had made the silent vow of watching over Mako no matter what, and that was what he had kept in mind while activating Gipsy's reactor manually. He couldn't die; he had to go back to her.

It wasn't the Drift compatibility they had or it wasn't simply that. There was something in her that had captivated him since the very first time he saw her, and as he got to know her that simple "something" turned into more.

Raleigh was certain she knew what he felt for her; he had never really bother hiding it. What was the point if in order to get a proper neuronal connection between pilots they couldn't hold onto any memory or thought. He knew she felt something for him too; he just wasn't sure how long would it take for her to come to terms with it. He didn't care. He would wait.

Raleigh took Mako's small red shoe from one of the shelves before him, and examined it carefully, tracing the patent leather surface with his fingers, musing. He wondered if Mako had finally gotten rid of her ghosts from the past; had he finally gotten rid of his? He put the shoe back when he felt Mako stir.

She sighed deeply in her sleep, and Raleigh watched as she slowly opened her eyes, and little by little, regained consciousness of the things and people surrounding her. She sat up. A pained expression crossed her features as the realization of what had happened hit her. Then, her eyes met him. Something in the way she was looking at him made him feel uneasy.

They stared at each other for what it felt like ages.

Some words he heard once came to his mind _"When you share a neuronal connection with someone for so long, you feel like there is nothing left to talk about."_

It didn't have to be that way…

-What are you thinking?- she asked him a little drowsily; her black eyes curious and expectant.

He had never believed that crap anyway.

-My timing seems to be finally right.- he replied.

She narrowed her eyes.

He smiled.

She smiled.

He didn't care what was next anymore.

**Thanks for reading. Reviews will be more than welcome. **

**I believe there are some things that I'm not quoting right, like Herc's words, but I will change them as soon as I watch the movie in English again because obviously, that will happen.**


End file.
